Shortly on coming to power, the government of Kwankwaso issued a directive to the effect that all non-indegenes on contract on any sports team were terminated. Thus begin the exodus of able-hands out of Kano sports and into the eager hands of rival teams in other states who recruited these players and came to beat us with them!
This happened in basketball, volleyball, handball and foootball. I was especially acutely aware of what happened in basketball. This is a game that Kano is reknown for, we have produced many indegenous players like young Sani Ibrahim who is currently on the NBA draft this season. Go to:
http://illinois.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=373&sport=2
Most of Nigerian international basketball players had training lessons with Kano Pillars basketball team or outrightly grew up in Kano. Check them out; Yinka Dare, Godwin Owinje, Ali Garagara, Chris Ekwe and the list goes on. Kano Pillars basketball team was the no.1 team in Nigeria throughout the 80s and early 90s, but the current government policies have gone too far in destroying this reputation. Shortly after disbanding players from other states from Kano(descrimination if you ask me), the governor cancelled Kano's participation in the recently concluded national sports festival which took place in Bauchi, where young talents are showcased and recruited!
Then the big one. Kwankwaso has now resorted to sharing out basketball/football courts in Kano to his crooneys as carveout plots. :o Yes he has. The little basketball court at farm centre, built on a disused strip of road with community effort and which attracted many former hooligans to the sport has been 're-claimed' by government. It has since been given out to individuals who constructed shops!!!? Now the shocker, the 22 year main Kofar Nassarawa (Technical roundabout) basketball court, reknown nationwide and worldwide as the centre of northern basketball(where Sani Ibrahim grew and learnt the game) and the 5s court opposite, has also been taken over by Kwankwaso. He has also shared it out to his crooneys who are gearing up to build more shops. ???
The indoor sports gym and the Sani Abacha international football stadium that hosted FIFA youth soccer have had thier functions redefined. Both two structures are now mainly used for political rallies and gatherings. These arrogant and insensitive politicians drive thier cars on the expensive, specially layered and sensitive racetracks which has been on designed for the athlete's shoes. The destruction heaped on the stadium by any one of these activities is equivalent to 20 FIFA championships!!! The expensive fittings in the indoor gym have also been subjected to crass abuse. The synthetic floor, made for rubber-soled shoe have iron chairs dragged all over it since political rallies, booklaunches etc are now held thier. In fact the indoor hall was hired out parmanently to a commercial concern which installed viewing screens for paid viewing of football matches. The catch is that no team, not even Kano Pillars (for whom the place was built for) can train there even if the game season is on!!
In his goodness of judgement, the governor thinks we need less and not more playgrounds in Kano, or he does not care about sports whatsoever. The way the government thinks, basketball or any other sport will never produce another reputable player as far as Kano is concerned but more shops! We need the support of all well meaning Kano indegenes to let this government know the hazzards of unemployed youths roaming aimlessly around looting and robbing innocent people and the lack of anything to engage them with. This is a very dangerous trend.
Umaru Isyaku,
Thanks for this comment.
It is very thoughtful and it has touched on three major cancerous problems that are very endemic to Kano, Kano city and it's suburbs;
First, is the lack of regard to sports and physical actives for our citizens by our current and previous leaders.
Second, the lack of sufficient and / or dwindling public space ( parks and play grounds) where our children, youth and the whole people can utilized...
Third, the "shopnization of Kano" were every little place is turned into a series of shops. We now turn our children's play and sports grounds into shops, turn our parks in to shops. All this with total disregard to any sound Urban Planning principles.
You will be very hard pressed to find any primary school and for that matter any secondary school that has sufficient play and sports ground in Kano city.
Again thanks for this thought provoking comment.
Assalamu Alaikum
Mallam Umar if what you said is entirely true then, the action of Kano state can only be termed, Disastrous. For only this can desribe the attitude of the state Government. It seems the Kano state Govt does not understand the correaltion of crime and depriving restless youth of avenues they vent off their so called anger. The confiscation of land for purposes other than what they are created for is, criminal, reprehensible, and above all, unislamic.
I have also notice 2 plots of lands were confiscated for this purpose that you have not pointed out. One is oppsite Gwale and the other close to Kofar dan Agundi. Is that justifyable or just another action of the power drunk radicals steering the ship in Kano?
Pls sir do all within your reach to see this at leasted halted if not rescinded because we have much to loose if the trend continues.
As always, its with Addua and patience that our problems can be solved, so we ask Allah to come to our rescue.
Bissalam
Muhammad
Guest I completely agree with yor argument.